British Telecommunication

Introduction

Telecommunication can be specifically defined as “The science and technology of communication at a distance by electronic transmission of impulses, as by telegraph, cable, telephone, radio, or television” (Thefreedoctionary.com 2009).

This brief introduction Traces back the telecommunications services in the United Kingdom, and sketches the evolution of BT from a monopoly in the UK to a global organization.

BT is the world’s oldest telecommunications company. The company dates back to the first telecommunications company that was set up in the United Kingdom. As the various smaller companies amalgamated and were taken over by the big ones or collapsed, the companies that survived came to being under the state control, i.e. under the Post office. The British Telecommunications Act, which was passed in the year 1981 transferred the responsibility for telecommunications services from the Post Office, as a result two corporations were created. BT later on transferred into a privatized organization and came to be known as ‘British Telecommunications ‘. In the year 1982, the Government formally announced its intention to privatize British Telecom, with the idea of selling 51 percent of its shares to the public and investors. This intention was put into action by the government passing, the Telecommunications Act, 1984, In November of the year 1984, more than 50 per cent of British Telecom shares were sold to the public and interested investors and the process of privatization was complete. It was no more a state owned organization. It is the world’s oldest communications company.

Fast forward to today and technology is the heart to BT’s business. Innovation as put forward by BT is the combination or putting together of the technical know-how with commercial acumen, which as a result becomes even more crucial in today’s, competitive world.

1.0-Mission Statement

A ‘Mission statement’ is a very important and key factor of the organization as it clarifies the organization’s purpose, it’s goals and it’s achievements in which the company sets their future objectives. Big companies generally avoid making the mission statement too narrow or either too broad. Organizations believe that the mission statements should be specific and market orientated. Mission statements should also be realistic and motivating. They should also be specifically precise in identifying the main domain in which the organization intends to operate.

BT’s ‘mission’, their central purpose of existence, is to be the leader in delivering converged networked services, provide world-class telecommunications and information products and services, and to develop and exploit our networks, at home and overseas, so that we can:

– meet the requirements of our customers by being dedicated to helping customers thrive in a changing world.

– sustain growth in the earnings of the group on behalf of our shareholders, and

– make a fitting contribution to the community in which we conduct our business.

Evidence to support the last point in the mission statement of BT is as follows, this is what the organization had to say towards the disabled community “Our mission is to drive consideration of disability issues deep into the operations of BT so that we enable equality of access to BT’s portfolio and to communicate that effectively to our target audiences, so as to improve the quality of life of disabled people, and enhance shareholder value” (Wiki.answers.com 2009 Accessed at 10-12-2009)

2.0-Key Objectives

As a consultant, on the basis of detailed research carried out the key objectives of British telecommunications are as follows-

• Enhancing Customer satisfaction- BT’s new CEO, Ben Verwaayen, places a major emphasis on enhancing consumer and customer satisfaction. He believes that corporate social responsibility is an integral step in enhancing consumer satisfaction. If the organization is responsible towards the society it helps creates a large consumer base.
• .British Telecommunication’s transformation programme specifically highlights three key objectives, namely being:
• To enhance the customer experience
• To accelerate product to market times
• To reduce BT’s cost base- This can be done by aiming for ‘economies of scale’.

BT further needs a future-proof, flexible and intelligent network so as to enable them to deliver communications services that will meet the customers’ requirements and satisfy them which will in turn help BT achieving their goals.

A few other objectives of British Telecommunication that the research highlights are as follows:

• Pursuing profitability- BT want to migrate existing customers to the new wave of products and services that they introduce, such as network IT services, broadband, mobility and managedservices.
• Maximizing the potential of the organization’s traditional businesses.
• Retaining the market share- At present BT has more than 20 million business and residential customers with more 29 million telephone lines.